According to statements posted on X.com by AEW President Tony Khan and wrestler Mance Warner, AAW’s claim that AEW forced Mance Warner to miss their Homecoming event is completely false. Khan first confirmed that neither he nor the AEW office had any knowledge of the situation until it went public, and that Warner was fully cleared to work the show. Warner also explained that AEW never asked him to withdraw from the May 22 event, and that the decision was entirely his own. He chose to withdraw over pay and wanted to avoid potential travel issues that could risk a bigger opportunity.
37-year-old Warner has quickly established himself as a regular on Ring of Honor programming since making his debut in early April 2026, following his departure from TNA. He made his televised ROH debut on April 30, losing to Shane Taylor, and later challenged for the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship alongside Eddie Kingston and Ortiz. Warner also faced Lee Moriarty in a Pure Rules match on May 18. As of this writing, it’s believed he remains part of ROH’s plans while still balancing his independent wrestling schedule.
